Deliver powerful drugs directly to cancer cells. Some monoclonal antibodies carry other cancer drugs directly to cancer cells. Once the monoclonal antibody attaches to the cancer cell, the cancer treatment it is carrying enters the cancer cell, causing the cell to die without damaging other healthy cells. Gemtuzumab (Mylotarg), a treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), is one example.
Monoclonal antibodies are also classified as a type of targeted treatment (a treatment that targets faulty genes or proteins that contribute to cancer growth and development). Read more about targeted treatments. Here are some other monoclonal antibodies approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) used to treat cancer: